I Believe

Reprinted from

I don't believe anyone is evil. I don't believe demonizing helps us in any way, shape or form. It leads us to easy targets instead of hard choices.

So, what DO I believe?

I believe every person carries the light of God within them from birth. When I attack another of God's children, I turn my back on that light and disrespect not only the person, but myself as well. We are better than that.

I believe if we only do what cannot fail, we miss the best of what we have to offer the world. We must not run or hide or hang our heads if we are less than 100% successful in everything we do. We have so much potential in our hearts & souls and the world needs every blessed one of us.

I believe we should reach high. That way, when we come up short, which we usually do, we are still above the mediocrity so much of our world wallows in.

I believe we are still learning and evolving. We may not be what we will yet become, but, by God, we are not what we once were. And that is progress of the best kind. Whether it is a new knitting stitch or a new way of seeing the world, no one has all the answers. To each of us is given a piece of the puzzle; we must work together to make a harmonious whole.

I believe only she who is without fault can cast the stones. Don't know about you, but that definitely leaves me out of the rock throwing business.

I believe in the communion of saints, and by that I do not mean those marble statues in church. I mean us. Quakers are often accused of eliminating the clergy. We have not. We have eliminated the lay person. All of us are saints. All of us carry God within.

I believe we can accomplish more by working together, than we can by pulling apart.

I believe it is better to build up than to tear down.

I believe girls like Legolas, but women prefer Aragorn ( oops - wait a minute - I digress - my bad!)

I believe in purposeful living. We are not just marking time. We are here for a reason. Our lives matter. They mean something.

I believe it is the responsibility of each individual to discover for themselves what that purpose is.

I believe my purpose is to love and support those I come into contact with on a day to day basis, whether that individual is a member of my family, an unhappy customer, or the man selling brooms outside the downtown post office door.

I believe, when we fall, we should pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and not waste time in moaning about it; we must learn from it, and go on about our business, which is, to paraphrase the Ghost of Christmas Present, "[hu]mankind."

I believe forgiveness is the hardest challenge we face in life, and the one that builds the most character.

I believe in the power of love to overcome death, war, pestilence, anger, sloth, selfishness, petty argument, bigotry, and all the other ills which our world is heir to.

I believe that even as we wind our way to the end of our journeys , we plant the seeds for a new beginning.

That is what I believe. What about you?